Regional Report
from the Prayer & Fasting Conference
Richmond, KY
February 9, 2007
2007 Regional Prayer & Fasting Conference
February 9, 2007 ~ Friday Evening Session
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The first session of the conference was opened shortly
after 7:00pm on February 9, 2007 by Brother Danny Carter,
Regional Overseer of The Church of God for Indiana,
Kentucky, and Ohio. Brother Carter began by recognizing
Butch, an employee of the Madison Middle School where
the vast majority of our Prayer and Fast Conferences, as
well as many of our Regional Conventions, have been
conducted for the past several years. Butch has been,
and continues to be, a good friend to The Church of God
in our region and has always welcomed us and treated
us as family anytime that we use the Madison Middle
School facilities.
Brother Carter then shared with us that we have a new
found Brother in Kenya, Africa who has been in contact
with him for some time now, and who is not affiliated with
any of our previous organizations. Just a couple of days
ago this Brother from Kenya contacted Brother Carter to
let him know that God has truly begun to move among
their churches and their people in Kenya, and he
contributes this move of God to the fact that they have
joined us in our 40 day fast in preparation for this Prayer
and Fast Conference. He stated that he and many of his
people would love to be in the conference with us this
weekend, but that it is just not possible. We know that
they are with us in spirit, and that their prayers continue to
be with this conference. We welcome our Brothers and
Sisters from Kenya; they are in our prayers continually.
God will bring all of His true sheep together in one fold
when He deems the time to be right.
At 7:20PM Brother Carter relinquished the pulpit to the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. He then called the
congregation to prayer for the sole purpose of welcoming
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost into our midst,
and to lift up and magnify His holy name.
Following this prayer the congregation was encouraged to
walk around and greet one another with a handshake and
a smile. This is something that Brother Carter very often
does and is always a blessing to spend time greeting
one another and to express our love and appreciation to
our Brothers and Sisters.
The program was then turned over to Brother Kendrick
who led the congregation a time of devotion in preparation
for a time of prayer. Brother Kendrick shared with us from
his heart and encouraged us to stand tall, stand firm, and
stand strong. Brother Carter then called the congregation
to prayer. He encouraged all that could to find their way to
the front of the auditorium to kneel before the Lord in a
time of heartfelt prayer, seeking the will and mind of God
for His church.
Brother Carter then had the pastors to stand, then the
ministers, and then the laity. As each group stood the
remainder of the congregation offered up prayers on their
behalf. What a wonderful presence of the Lord that came
into the house while we were engaged in these prayers.
There was such a sweet spirit of worship and praise that
filled every soul during these times of prayer. All you
could do was to stand still in the awesome presence of
the Lord, lift up your hands in honor to His glorious
presence, and to offer up a sacrifice of praise as the Holy
Ghost moved on the hearts of every soul. God was given
all the time He needed to touch and to bless every soul.
No one was in a hurry, as this was exactly why we came
to Richmond. His presence in our midst is His
confirmation that He recognizes and honors the fact that
we are gathered together in His name, seeking that, not
our will, but His will be done.
Sister Randols and Sister Benningfield led the congregation in a spirit-filled time of worship and praise in singing “Jesus Hold My Hand”. Jesus did just that; His presence was so sweet, just as though He was reaching down and taking us by the hand in love and encouragement, and comfort.
Sister Gina Phelps so wonderfully blessed this gathering while singing “Is Anything Too Hard for God?” We all know the answer to that question; nothing is too hard for the God we serve!! It was too hard for the prophets of Baal to call down fire from their gods, but when Elijah called upon the God that we serve, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, the stone, the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. Nothing is too hard for God.
Brother Eric Phelps then brought a message to the conference entitled “God’s Confirmation”. What an anointing from God that accompanied this message. It is so good for God’s people when His ministers can preach the word under His anointing, with Holy Ghost power, and with conviction.
Brother Eric shared that Confirmation is “proof that something that was said is true”. God’s Confirmation is proof that what He has said is true! God’s word is true; God’s word will stand forever.
- Psalms 119:89
For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.- Isaiah 40:8
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.- Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.Every word that God has spoken will be fulfilled.
Brother Eric preached to us about John the Baptist. John was a great preacher, and he was a great man of God, but he was nothing when compared to the One for whom he was the forerunner. Even John would always speak of He who would come after him, whose shoes he was unworthy to unlatch.
- Luke 3
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but onemightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: heshall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gatherthe wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.John was not preaching a new message when he spoke of the coming of Christ. This was a message that God has given His people all the way back in the book of Genesis and many times thereafter. The coming of Christ was foretold from the very beginning.
Because John preached with such conviction and power, many who heard him wondered whether he was the Messiah that they heard would come. As was stated earlier, John was a good man; he was a good preacher; he was a man of God; but he was missing one thing that would make him the Messiah: He was missing the proper credentials - He was missing God’s Confirmation.
- Matthew 3
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comestthou to me?15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomethus to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo,the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending likea dove, and lighting upon him:Once the Spirit of God had descended upon Jesus God’s Confirmation was already upon Him. God had already spoken to John and let him know how His Confirmation would be manifested upon His son in John 1:33.
- John 1:33
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said untome, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, thesame is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.John knew then that this Jesus was the Son of God, and that God’s Confirmation was upon Him. However, the rest of the people who were following John was not aware of this Confirmation that was already given to John, therefore the Father spoke in a voice that all could hear to Confirm the Jesus was His Beloved Son, in whom He was well pleased.
- 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.God’s Confirmation tells us that we can trust Jesus. We can trust that He is not a wolf in sheep’s clothing; that He will not fleece us. We can always trust God’s Confirmation; His Confirmation will never lead us astray, but without God’s Confirmation all there can be is confusion, and we all know that God is not the author of confusion. 